A "flow" time seems to have been the mid-1960s. The tail fin fad was over, but government-mandated restrictions indirectly affecting shapes had yet to be imposed. In particular, General Motors styling hit several high points because design honcho Bill Mitchell was hitting his stride. Outstanding designs included 1964 and 1966 Buick Rivieras, 1967 Cadillac Eldorados, 1966 Oldsmobile Toronados, 1963 Corvettes, and the 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Another mid-1960s American experience was the "pony car" (Wikipedia entry here). The entry mentions some early '60s examples such as the Chevrolet Corvair Monza, but then moves into the era of this post's pony cars.
Our featured 1968-vintage models are the Ford Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda, Chevrolet Camaro, and American Motors Javelin.
First of the lot was the Mustang, introduced in the Spring of 1964. Sadly, I was in the Army stationed in Korea at the time, and missed out experiencing the initial excitement first-hand. By the 1968 model year, bustle back Mustangs had only been lightly facelifted, though fastback versions introduced for 1965 had an altered character. Both are shown below.
Plymouth's Barracuda appeared about the same time as the Mustang. But its styling (that I wrote about here) was not especially exciting, resembling in respects the Plymouth Valiant that it was based on. A new Barracuda design appeared for 1967 with bustle back and fastback versions.
Chevrolet's Camaro appeared for the '67 model year. It was based on the Chevrolet Nova "compact." Its shared cowling structure dominated stylists' efforts to create a sporty Mustang-fighter. The result was a slightly chunky look, but the theme with lower cowling was applied successfully to a different package in 2010.
American Motors 1965-1967 Marlin was akin to Plymouth's first-generation Barracuda, being an obvious fastback variation of the firm's Rambler and Ambassador lines. Javelin replaced it. The 1968 Javelin was Rambler platform-based, but had different exterior cladding.
The 1968 Javelin appearance sets the stage for this post's theme: which pony car of that vintage would you have been tempted to buy based on styling alone. The Gallery presents front-quarter, side view, and rear-quarter views of notchback and fastback versions of each model. Where possible, I used photos of 1968 cars. Otherwise, images of similar 1967 models were used to illustrate designs.
Front-quarter views below are a limited model set because front ends are the same regardless of the rear ends being fastbacks or notchbacks.
The basic shape is somewhat boxy. The high hood and rather flat front add to this feeling, though the inset headlights counteract this somewhat.
A more graceful appearance ... rather feminine. (Many guys like feminine-like cars along with their actual girlfriends.) The two-segment grille was more similar to Pontiac's theme than General Motors might have liked.
Front end on this Camaro is flat, nondescript.
Not much of a bumper, but plenty of visual entertainment up front. Another two-segment grille, but less Pontiac-like than Barracuda's.
Mustang's best feature for hood-loving me is the profile proportions. Long hood, short trunk, and wide C-pillar. Works well. The fenderline flows, adding interest. The side sculpting became a visual trademark for Mustang. Interesting that there's no full-length sculpting or chrome trim to tie the front and rear visually -- very plain rear fender.
The fastback looks racier in profile. But the added metal creates visual bulk counteracting raciness to some degree.
Lighter profile than Mustang. Fendeline flow is quite subtle. Airier passenger compartment greenhouse than the fastback 'Stang's.
The bustleback/notchback 'Cuda's greenhouse strikes me as being too delicate for a pony car, let alone any musclecar variation.
Typical pony car profile proportions. The side crease ties front to the rear. Nice looking car, but rather generic design -- nothing striking about it.
Proportionally short hood and long greenhouse. C-pillar pretty heavy in this view. Has mid-level crease tying the ends.
Now some rear-quarter views. High rear fenders nest the trunk lid. Tidy backlight window -- no drama here. The dished-in panel above the bumper adds interest. Three-piece tail light assemblies also became a Mustang brand identifier.
The large backlight counteracts some of the visual bulk noted above.
An "organic," flowing design from this angle. Note the tie-in of the front C-pillar edge and the top backlight frame: professional touch. Aft treatment is simple, but the thin bumper and sculpted panel are separated enough to create visual lightness.
All that is lost on the notchback Barracuda.
The rear is tidy, but rather generic, like the rest of the design. Nothing objectionable, mind you. Nothing interesting or exciting, either.
C-pillars become modest sail panels nesting the trunk lid. This helps lighten C-pillar bulkiness. Tidy rear end detailing contrasts the fussiness we find on today's designs.
All the designs shown here are nice aside, perhaps, from the too-delicate Barracuda bustleback. Your taste will probably vary, but here is my two-cents take. The Mustang's design seems too static. The Barracuda is the prettiest, but a tiny bit too much so for me. As noted, the Camaro is pleasant, but generic -- no excitement. As for the Javelin, I would prefer a longer hood. But otherwise, I have no serious complaints. I would probably buy the Javelin for its looks.
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